Egypt-Israel gas pipeline bombed hours ahead of voting

A gas pipeline running from Egypt to Israel was attacked Monday, hours before the start of parliamentary elections, Egypt's first voting since the ouster of president Hosny Mubarak in February, dpa reported.

Saboteurs detonated explosives at the pipeline at the Sinai Peninsula town of al-Arish, Al Jazeera television reported. The attack was the ninth on the pipeline since Mubarak was ousted in a wave of popular demonstrations.

Firefighters and security forces rushed to the scene.

The pipeline supplies Jordan and Israel with Egyptian natural gas.

Another blast occurred at the pipeline Thursday in al-Rawda village, about 45 kilometres west of al-Arish in Egypt's northern Sinai Peninsula.

Voting was to begin Monday in the first of three rounds of Egypt's elections. The final voting is to take place January 3, results were expected to be announced January 13.

Protesters have been packing central Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the anti-Mubarak revolt, demanding that the military rulers who took over from Mubarak transfer power to a civilian administration. The protesters continued to occupy the square Monday morning.